Yesterday's edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight included a report from Kitty Pilgrim
on product recalls from China and the administration's efforts to
reduce importation of unsafe products. "Bush administration officials
are going through the charade of tougher enforcement with few results,"
according to Correspondent Pilgrim. Using "charade" prepared viewers
for where this segment was going:
PILGRIM: HHS Secretary Leavitt says he is optimistic the
Chinese government will approve the opening of three FDA offices in
China some time soon. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says if
recalls continue at the current rate, it will be a 70 percent increase
over last year. Lou?
DOBBS: Secretary Leavitt says he's optimistic.
PILGRIM: That's what he said. And it's been an ongoing discussion, but there's no approval...
(CROSSTALK)
DOBBS: Three offices in China...
PILGRIM: In China.
DOBBS: ... for 11 inspectors for $300 billion worth of products.
PILGRIM: The numbers don't quite work, do they?
DOBBS: They don't seem to work maybe just for all of us. I'm sure
they work for Washington because they think we're a bunch of idiots.
How big a fool do you suppose Secretary Leavitt is to think that we're
this stupid?
PILGRIM: He says that the Chinese manufacturers should be held more
accountable and he would like them to put the FDA certification, the
Chinese government to put the FDA certification on to say they meet FDA
standards which is his general approach to the problem.
DOBBS: That's brilliant. That goes along with this administration's
request that Wall Street regulate itself. When does George Bush leave
office?
PILGRIM: The good news is that there is legislation coming through that may tighten up standards for American manufacturers.
DOBBS: I heard this nonsense before. Thanks for trying to boost my
spirits any way. We all appreciate it. The American consumer, you're on
your own. We're on our own in this country. This government is
completely indifferent to the welfare and people and safety of the
consumer. It's disgusting.
What's disgusting is that Dobbs, Pilgrim and many of their cohorts
in the mainstream media apparently believe that the government can
protect everybody from everything. Setting aside the not insignificant
question of what constitutes legitimate Federal functions, it should be
apparent to even the most ardent statist that no matter how big Big
Brother is, he can't handle the job.
Created in 1972, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was
mandated to, among other charges, 'protect the public against
unreasonable risks of injury from consumer products." Unsurprisingly,
"unreasonable" wasn't defined.
A 1977 Washington Post news article reported it took the CPSC two
and one half years to come up with a safety standard for matchbook
covers. Two years for standards and 15 pages in the Federal Register on
swimming pool slides. Three years for standards for the glass used in
doors, windows and walls.
It's obvious that the government cannot guarantee the safety of
millions, perhaps billions, of individual products ranging from power
tools to toys, cribs to household chemicals, bicycle helmets to water
heaters. Tossing a few million more at the CPSC or opening new FDA
offices in China will accomplish little if anything. And it might lull
citizens into a false sense of security, believing that the products
they use are safe when the truth may be far different.
The seductive promise of the nanny state never loses its allure. At
least for people like Lou Dobbs and Kitty Pilgrim. Insofar as unsafe
imports go, it really doesn't make a difference when George Bush leaves
office. Then again, just asking the question does give the mainstream
media something to look forward to.